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| Physician Assistants |
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| Employment Increase: |
34% |
| People In Field: |
78,000 |
| Average Salary: |
$43,050 |
| Qualifications: |
Bachelor's Degree, Training |
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Nature of the Work:
As their title suggests, physician assistants (PA's)
support physicians. However, they should not be confused with
medical assistants. PA's are formally trained to perform many
of the routine but timeconsuming tasks physicians usually
do. They take medical histories, examine patients, order and
interpret laboratory tests and x-rays, and make preliminary
diagnoses. They also treat minor injuries by suturing,
splinting, and casting. PA's record progress notes, instruct and
counsel patients, and order or carry out therapy. In 35 states and
the District of Columbia, physician assistants may
prescribe medications. PA's may have managerial duties too. Some
order medical and laboratory supplies and equipment;
others supervise technicians and assistants.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
Almost all states require that new PA's complete an
accredited, formal education program. Recently, there were 57
such educational programs for physician assistants, including
three programs for surgeon assistants. Thirtyseven of these
programs offered a baccalaureate degree or a degree option.
The rest offered either a certificate, an associate degree, or
a master's degree. Admission requirements vary, but many
programs require two years of college and some work
experience in the health care field.
Job Outlook:
Employment opportunities are expected to be excellent
for physician assistants, particularly in areas or settings that
have difficulty attracting enough physicians, such as rural and
inner city clinics. Employment of physician assistants is
expected to grow faster than the average for all
occupations through the year 2005, due to anticipated expansion of
the health services industry and an emphasis on cost
containment. There will be approximately 78,000 physician
assistants by 2005. Physicians and institutions are expected to employ
more PA's to provide primary care and assist with
medical and surgical procedures, thus freeing physicians to
perform more complicated, revenue generating tasks.
Sources of Additional Information:
A free brochure, Physician Assistants, Partners in
Medicine, is available from:
American Academy of Physician Assistants
950 North Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
For a list of accredited programs and a catalog of
individual PA training programs, contact:
Association of Physician Assistant Programs
950 North Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
For eligibility requirements and a description of the
Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, write to:
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc.
2845 Henderson Mill Rd. NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
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